In A Kingdom
by aurora0914
Summary: The ins and outs of a castle... every person has a role. Collaboration with Darth-Taisha.
1. The Jester

**I know... I shouldn't be doing this. I just couldn't resist! I will finish this, in 15 chapters. 15, short chapters. Promise. And I won't post this until I'm at least on chapter 6. Hahaha! Anyway, enjoy! please do, review! Collaboration with Darth Taisha. **

_The Jester_

Naruto was the Jester and he liked it (but no, not love, never love). He liked making people laugh, and with his sunny blonde hair, and sky blue eyes, he could brighten up anyone's dreary day. He himself loved to laugh a lot; it brought enlightenment to his soul.

Though the Jester was a massive troublemaker (instigator...maker of mischief...whatever) and was always playing pranks and causing minor bouts of hysteria around the town. He still, strangely enough, ended up becoming the personal favourite of the Queen, much to the chagrin of a lot of seriously pissed off tradespeople. The ruler seemed to think he was an absolute riot, and called on him to amuse her, a lot.

His dream, however, was not to become the Jester (being a Jester was only side job, just for the hell of it) it was to be the King. However, that dream could never become a reality for him, because he was not of Royal Blood or born into the Royal Family. Unfortunately for him, the only position available, would be that of the King's Advisor (and he just didn't think he was cut out for such a comatose-inducing position).

The Jester - Naruto - was alas, only a lowly orphan. He was looked down upon nearly by everyone, just because of his (sigh) status. One thing he did have a lot of, and that was charisma, and he used it to make people laugh, which helped to make them love him.

Konohamaru, was an unusually impressionable lad and one of his students. Not being all that ambitious or even particularly bright, he figured becoming a Jester like his idol would be a great career goal. Right now, Naruto was currently teaching his young student how to be and act like a maiden. Something that Konohamaru was strangely good at, much to Naruto's disbelief.

Besides teaching, Naruto also had a talent for juggling. He could juggle up to fifteen balls, to many people's complete awe and disbelief. To do that, he found himself located in the middle of the market, near the fountain. Drawn by his awesomely bright personality, many people came to watch him perform, which was a feat in itself.

With a job like his, it was necessary for him to stand out, so he always wore a bright orange uniform, with three bells adorning his head, like ornaments. They marked his every step, and announced his presence loudly to the world. Pretty much everyone knew who he was, with a costume like that, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to miss him.

Even though the Jester was a bit of a jokester, he was also fairly wise. He saw (supposedly) the world through a rose tinted glasses (he didn't, not really; but others didn't know that); but he was finely attuned to the feelings of others. That made him wise, and not many people knew that fact. There was only one person who was privy to that knowledge, and it was his best friend and rival.

The Jester wore a mask at all times. Normally he would wear a white one with whiskers, but for the rest of the time he would wear a mental one. Slammed on tight, it kept his true feelings hidden from the world. It was a smiling one. One that always showed happiness; a cheerful one, one that people could enjoy. If the People knew about his deep sadness, they'd fear him. For it was so great, it was unparalleled, even with the saddest of creatures.

But a mask was a mask, designed to keep secrets. Naruto kept a great many of them; secrets like that of the Fox within him, secrets of his parentage, secrets of his best friend.

Naruto wanted to be king so much, and yearned to be king, because it was his birthright. Not only that, he wanted to be acknowledged, for once, in a good way. Yes, he enjoyed laughing, and making people laugh, but…it would be nice to be treated as a hero, and not some inconvenience that just happened to show up that day.

His birthright: he was the heir of the Namikaze king. You see, the Dynasty before this one was that of the Namikazes'; they were the rulers of the land and beyond. They were killed, however, by the Fox within him, destroying their legacy, leaving the Dynasty after them to ascend to the throne.

Although Naruto didn't regret it, he didn't regret being an orphan, or his life for that matter. He was someone who could wish and hope for the impossible, that for once, instead of just making others happy, he could also find happiness for himself.

But he was the Jester…and that was his job.

Just because Naruto joked a lot, didn't mean he couldn't love. He was in love with Sakura; a woman with beautiful green eyes, that reminded him of the green leaves of the trees. Her hair was like fluffy pink cotton candy, and it made him wonder if it smelled as sweet as it looked. Although Sakura's hair might have been sweet, her personality sure wasn't. She was tough, and brutal, and she had never, ever, pitied or looked down upon Naruto. Not the way others did, anyway; she simply viewed him as an annoyance. And although she wasn't always the nicest person, she was never so to Sasuke - his best friend.

To him, her love was ever so sweet, and it made Naruto jealous. Especially since Sasuke was never, _never, _appreciative of what he had. He always had only one goal in mind, one stupid, _stupid _goal in mind; Naruto wasn't even sure how they became best friends. Wait - yes he did know; Sasuke was the first to acknowledge him, first to see him as a human, and first to challenge him, _in anything._

Yes, Naruto knew exactly why Sasuke was his best friend, even if Sasuke…didn't.

Naruto often wondered what would become of him in the future. Would he find a warm and loving wife? It surely wouldn't be Sakura; she only had eyes for Sasuke. Would he have kids? Surely not, Naruto could not imagine having kids with anyone other than Sakura.

Actually, to tell the truth, he couldn't imagine himself having kids at all. How would he have them grow up? Using what example? He didn't have one of his own and he never would. So, how would he know how to raise a kid? Why was he thinking about this at all? Hadn't he established that he would never have children with anyone but Sakura, who only loved Sasuke?

Sometimes Naruto thought he was a bit of a masochist. Always wishing of having things he could never have. Always wishing for a family…always wishing for a title…always wishing for Sakura. Although, he knew, that it would be completely and utterly impossible; he still wished. It was unfair, really - why did _he _have to be the one that was like this? And why did Sasuke get everything that he, Naruto wanted?

But then again, Sasuke was Sasuke, and Naruto was Naruto. Sasuke saw things differently, and wanted different things. So it wouldn't matter to Sasuke if he was like Naruto, as long as he achieved his goal, his piece of happiness. Sasuke and Naruto were like day and night; it was only logical that it would be Naruto that Sakura hated, and Sasuke that she loved. The two best friends.

Yes, how could someone such as Sakura ever love the Jester? Impossible, simply impossible. The Jester could never be loved. He hadn't _ever _been loved, after all. Not by family. Not by girls. Not by friends.

Yes, Naruto had many friends that liked him, but never one that loved, or truly cared. They came in pairs. Shikamaru and Choji. The lazy and fat (Choji would kill him). Kiba and Shino. The dog and the bug (surprising, the 'animal' pair). Neji and Lee. The snob and the clueless (they covered each other's flaws astonishingly well.) And he, came in a pair with Sasuke, but Sasuke had never loved. Well, maybe he had, but he'd never tell Naruto. No, as Naruto would have to see for himself.

Whoever heard of someone sharing something with the Jester, anyway? Overall, Naruto was perfectly satisfied with being a Jester. He made people laugh. He was the centre of attention. He was a cause of (superficial) joy. After all, he was the Jester. Bright, light, shiny, loud - like the sun. Something so blinding that it made people look away.

Yes, he liked being a Jester.

But he couldn't help but wish, and dream - that he was something more.

**This just came to mind. It was a very weird drabble- I hope you enjoyed it. It was entirely my idea. But Darth Taisha had a hard time incorporating humour into my angst. Hahaha.**

**Review, Review, Review**

**Sincerely, Aurora-chan!**


	2. The Princess

**Well, actually, I started the Sasuke fic first, but after a lot of contemplation, I decided that the Sakura fic should go before the Sasuke one. Because Sasuke will open a whole can of worms to another topic, so, so, I should do the Sakura one first. I actually _will not _bash her very much in this story. Im just going to write her exactly how I see her. Sadly, though, she ended up being the Princess. Cuz every good fairy tale needs a Princess.**

_The Princess_

Sakura was the Princess. Actually, she was not a princess, as she was not part of the royal family. She was just very high in the ranking, and was blessed by Tsunade. She was the daughter of the very old and powerful Haruno family. Not as powerful as the Hyuugas, but that was a different story.

Sakura was powerful. Sakura was strong. Sakura was beautiful; having a lot of suitors. With her looks, her piercing jade eyes, and her silky pink, feminine hair- who could resist? Well, Sasuke could, that's who. She had chased after Sasuke her whole life- deeming herself to be hopelessly in love with him. She wasn't the only one: Sasuke had loads of girls chasing after him and his dreamy looks his whole life. Oh, his dreamy looks: onyx eyes so black, seeing through her very soul, smooth black hair that glinted in the light - who could resist him? No one, that's who (except Hinata, but she wasn't very important). At least, not Sakura. Sakura melted into a puddle of goo whenever Sasuke simply looked her way- whether he was scowling or frowning, it didn't matter.

Yes, Sakura has always been addressed as a Princess - but never by him. She was never _his _Princess. He never gave her the time of day. But, Sakura didn't care. As long as she was alive and breathing, he would be hers, just as she would be his. Her parents couldn't bring themselves to say anything; after all, Sakura was their little Princess. And what a Princess wants, a Princess gets.

Sakura couldn't understand. She was by no means ugly. She had proof: Lee and Naruto were head over heels in love with her. Oh, Naruto, the dolt. He would forever be the Jester, the one designed to make her laugh, but no, not to love. Never to love. Her only love was Sasuke, and would always be Sasuke. It was a good thing the Jester understood. Hah, Sakura would become the laughing stock of the kingdom if they ever (God forbid!) coupled. But why was Sakura thinking about Naruto? He wasn't important. He never was.

She could not understand why Hinata liked the Jester. She could have anyone or anything- with her standing, Sakura was sure that even Sasuke wouldn't mind- but, no, Hinata was stubbornly in love with the Jester. Sakura sometimes didn't know whether to laugh, or feel pity toward the woman. Hinata wasn't a threat to her love, that was established, but Ino was.

Ino. With her beautiful fair platinum hair, and sea blue eyes, she could have any man she wanted. From all the men in the land, Ino, however, wished to go after _her _man, Sasuke. And afterwards, Ino wondered why Sakura had to end her friendship with her. Sakura snorted. Let Ino wonder forever, then. If Ino had not broken the best friend code, things wouldn't have come down to this.

Yes. Ino had been her best friend. They had gotten along - talking about girly things, like clothes and make-up, and saw each other every day. Until all that was ruined by a man, the devastatingly handsome man, Sasuke. Sakura always had a small feeling of guilt in her stomach for disregarding Ino the way she did. She had tossed Ino aside, like she was worth nothing more than the ground beneath her dainty feet.

But it was all worth it. Everything was worth it for Sasuke. Everyone coupled together could never be half of the worth that Sasuke was. He could have so much; the land, the sea, the sky. Yet he chose to focus all of his attention on the fruitless effort of revenge and hatred. Sakura would never understand; she never thought she could understand. But all that revenge and hatred had somehow made Sasuke handsomer, and cooler than ever.

Sometimes, it felt like Sakura was battling with herself. One side of her was the side of Emotion, and the other side was the side of Reason. The side of Emotion always defended Sasuke, while the side of Reason tried to tell Sakura that Sasuke was a human too, and that he made mistakes, and that he wasn't as perfect as he made himself seem. Somehow, the side of Emotion always won, the side that was her heart. Although Sakura felt that she always _wanted _that side to win. But if she thought any more on this topic, she'd only get more and more confused.

Yes. She was a Princess: perfection personified. Her personality was sunny, and suave, and she was always the centre of attention. She always wore the most glamorous dresses, the ones that sparkled at night. Her make-up was always perfect, giving her a dreamy look. She came from a wealthy family, and she had status. A Princess.

Every one of the women envied her, (except Hinata, but she wasn't that important, Sakura reminded herself) all of the men wanted her... yes, all except for Sasuke. But she wouldn't start on that subject now. She had already been through that subject.

Yet, her side of Reason... felt like she was too promiscuous. Everything was always so fake; the smiles, the status, the happiness. So, so fake. Her parents were like that too; in front of other important noble people, they smiled, but once their backs were turned, that smile turned into a grimace. A very ugly grimace.

The only person that smiled no matter what was the Jester, Naruto. It was his job, after all. Why was she thinking about him again? Her thoughts moved onto Tsunade. Tsunade was a fair woman with blonde hair, and deep caramel eyes. She was beautiful. She was even more beautiful than Sakura. She was all that Sakura wished to be.

It was too bad that Sakura could never be Tsunade. They lived different lives, with different statuses. She was a Princess... and Tsunade was... Tsunade. She wasn't a Princess. She couldn't be meant for Sasuke.

Sasuke. Like usual, all of her thoughts went back to him. She was the one meant for Sasuke. She was. She was bright, while Sasuke was dark. She cared, while Sasuke didn't. She talked, Sasuke didn't. She was his other half in everything. Why couldn't Sasuke see that?

That didn't matter. Sakura had her whole life to prove that to Sasuke. And if worst came to worst, her parents could always arrange an arranged marriage. Although Sakura wasn't sure they would be able to get through Itachi.

Itachi was Sasuke's brother. He was just as handsome, (Sakura blushed at that thought) and much more polite than Sasuke was. But he had no fire - he was too calm, and always knew what to do. That annoyed Sakura to no end, but she still couldn't help but be in awe. Itachi was perfect. Even more perfect than Sasuke. It was inhumane, really, and Sakura felt ugly just looking at him. That was why Sasuke was better. Sakura could look at Sasuke, and not feel small. She could be herself, she could be a human.

Yes, Itachi was Sasuke brother, and Sakura was sure that Itachi loved Sasuke with all his heart. That was why Sakura could not understand why Sasuke wanted 'revenge' on Itachi. All Itachi did, was love. Maybe it was jealousy? Sakura's side of Reason chimed in, but was quickly ignored. Sasuke could not get jealous. He was perfect, and _hers._

After all, Sakura was a Princess, and what a Princess wants, a Princess gets.

**Yes. I made Sakura kind of spoiled, and very split (In personality). Yes, she was the princess. I bet you're wondering what kind of character Sasuke is, right? Or Itachi? Or Hinata? Well, I wish you the best of luck to guess. I have done two... out of... wait, I'll count the ones I'm going to do: Sasuke, Itachi, Hinata, Shino, Kiba, Choji, Shikamaru, Ino, Neji, Tenten, Lee, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and... I'm not sure, but I was sure that there was more... ah well. So, two out of... seventeen.**

**Anyway, Review, Review, Review,**

**Sincerely, Aurora-chan!**


	3. The Prince

**Im already on the second part in this supposed to be short drabble. It's really weird, dont mind it. I hoped you enjoyed the last one; although Naruto was slightly more depressing that he usually is. Sigh. Anyway, please read and review!**

_The Prince_

Sasuke was called many things: The Heart Breaker. The Prince of Seduction. The Prince of the Night. The Emperor of Darkness. The Keeper of Hearts. But truthfully, he only really liked one name: Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke. Yes, that name was his own. No fancy or flashy titles, everyone seeing him for who he truly was: Sasuke Uchiha, a normal boy. Broody, inwardly very emotional, and very harsh, but no one saw that; they only saw Prince Sasuke, the heir to the Uchiha throne.

Sasuke hated that with a passion. He hated his family. He hated his brother. Yes - he hated Itachi. Who was always better than him, at everything and anything he did. Itachi, who was the first born - Itachi who was always calm and controlled, Itachi with his better eye technique, Itachi with his unwavering loyalty, Itachi, Itachi.

They had always said that hatred rooted from jealousy.

Itachi had everything that Sasuke could ever want: he was the first born; he got the pure blooded wife, and the approval of Father. And Mother.

They were dead now. They didn't die, they were murdered, and Sasuke had always had a vague suspicion that it was actually Itachi that killed them. But no one believed him when he said that; everyone always believed _Itachi._

It was the same when Mother and Father were alive. Fugaku and Mikoto, they always sided with Itachi. It was always Itachi this, Itachi that. And even though they always took Itachi's side, it was _him _that cried at their funeral. Itachi was indifferent. It was _him _that actually cared that they were killed and murdered. Why could they _see _that? It was too late, anyway. They were dead. Dying, died, dead. Killed.

He had to stop thinking about that though, stop thinking about it before he got too angry and did something that he really didn't want to do. Instead, he tried focusing his anger on someone that would not cause as great a hatred, Naruto.

Naruto, the Jester. Somehow, that Naruto was his best friend. Was it because that they were both so different, and because Naruto was the only one that actually didn't care about status? Or was it because Naruto lost his parent, or never had any, as well? Was it because of Naruto's sunny disposition? Sasuke didn't know. He didn't really want to know, anyway. All he could remember was that Naruto was always laughed at, and that Sasuke challenged him on the fact that he allowed himself to be laughed at. They became closer after that.

But now, they had a large wedge in between them. A wedge that had pink hair and green eyes, and went by the name of _Sakura. _An annoying princess that didn't know her place. Yes, Naruto was somehow in love with her - how, Sasuke couldn't know for the life of him - and was jealous of Sasuke. All for the fact that Sakura was in love with him. It was all a hopeless love triangle, it really was. It got more complicated when the only woman that he _could have _or _might have _ever loved was taken. If he thought by who, Sasuke was sure that his blood would boil. Again.

Yes, Sakura fancied herself in love with him. Sasuke begged to differ. Sakura was _obsessed _with him, sure, but not _in love _with him. His mother used to always say, that if you love someone, you let them go. You let them be happy. If Sakura had the choice, she'd never allow him to be with the woman of his dreams (as if he could, anyway). She thought that he was her possession. She was wrong. Sasuke would not be owned by anyone, he was his own person.

Yes, he was his own person. Why couldn't the fan girls understand that? They chased him as if he was some sort of prize, as if he was some sort of possession just waiting to be owned. Well, he wasn't. And they weren't either. Even if they were, Sasuke wouldn't dare 'own' them; he would be disgusted by owning them.

Why did they even like him? Sasuke stared at the mirror, trying to find the beauty that everyone else found just by looking at him. All he could see, was black. Black eyes. Black hair. Black clothes. Black personality. Why did they like him? He never tried making himself popular; he didn't want to be bothered. Yet, they still chased. They chased something that could never be caught. Why couldn't they chase Naruto?

Oh, that was right, because Naruto as the Jester. He didn't have the status or the money that all women desired or wanted, (all except her) nor the looks. Was that why Sakura didn't like him? Somehow, Sasuke wouldn't be surprised. She always did seem like the type to be promiscuous. She did like him, after all. Sasuke wondered if having such low self of steam was healthy. Then again, he did have confidence in himself. How contradicting.

That was what he was, contradicting. He wanted to be loved, to have a family, but he didn't let himself love. He wanted his brother to _see _him, but at the same time, he wanted revenge. He wanted Naruto to be happy, but not with Sakura. Yes, he was a walking contradiction.

Only one person understood. Or tried to understand. But she could never be his; she was someone else's. Sasuke often wondered of the irony of the world. In life, so many girls chased him, but the only one that he (could) liked, she was taken. By him. It wasn't her fault, but still. The betrayal would always stay in his heart; even though he started liking her after she was taken. When she wasn't, Sasuke could hardly care less. His mistake. His misfortune. His misery.

Sasuke didn't want to think about this, though. Not about this. He would get angry all over again; like he did almost every night.

Yes, Sasuke had nightmares. They attacked, every night. He usually either had nightmares of _her and him, _or of his parents getting killed. Or of him joining Orochimaru. Yes, he did that, for a short time. That was when he got his nickname as the, 'the Emperor of the Darkness'. When he got back, some regarded him as a criminal, for his rash decisions, but like always, Itachi cleared it up. Somehow.

Sasuke didn't want him to clear it up. It was his mess. Why did Itachi always have to prove that he was perfect? To spite him? If so, he was doing a mighty fine job of doing just that.

Sasuke joined Orochimaru for power. And for recognition. He got both of those, for a time. Until he was dragged back, accepting that he was wrong. Like he had mentioned, a lot of people jeered, until Itachi cleared it up. Although _she _never did. She always understood. She was never judgement. She still wasn't.

Sometimes, Sasuke wondered if he was cursed. He didn't want to be a prince. He never wanted to be part of the 'royal family'. All he ever wanted was a normal family, a normal life, to be happy. Actually, very little made him happy (although she did) very, very little. Was happiness even achievable? Sasuke often wondered, trying to remember a time that he was ever truly happy. Maybe when he was little, naïve and innocent, lying on his mother's lap. Or when Itachi poked his forehead. But that was all long, long ago. No one could help him achieve happiness, not now.

Who would, (except her, but then again, she couldn't... could she?) anyway?

**Yes. A very angsty, Sasuke drabble. I get the feeling that these don't make sense, at all. Oh, and I had forgotten three characters, after all. This will have twenty, or twenty one chapters. Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, so so sorry I forgot you! :O, :(. Anyway, review, review, review!**

**Sincerely, Aurora-chan!**


	4. The King

**I'm on NUMERO 4! Bwahahaha! I can't believe I got so far... :D :)! and I haven't even published it, yet... ah well, I'll publish it once I get to number 6. PROMISE! Although, this is getting to be one fic too many... sighs, I'll erase, like, the one shots. Oh, those horrible one shots! I'll leave Bad Girl Mikan, and whatchamacall it... Reasons of a Runaway. But but, you prolly dont care about Gakuen Alice. So, ENJOY!**

_The King_

They called him the King of Shadows. That was because that they never knew what he would do until he did. He always worked, 'in the Shadows', they said. Itachi had no idea what they were talking about; he himself found himself very predictable. He only wanted the best for his country and his brother; couldn't they see that? Couldn't they see that the decisions he made were all for the People? It was all so, so predictable. But Itachi didn't argue. Let them think what they must; whatever helped them sleep at night.

The great sorrow in Itachi's life was probably Sasuke. No, he loved Sasuke very much- it was the fact that Sasuke hated him. Because Sasuke wasn't the first born, and he didn't have to deal with all those two-faced politicians (that Itachi protected him from), or all the fake smiles. He didn't have to deal with the weight of the Kingdom resting on his shoulders. Yes, but if Sasuke was happier living in his own, rose-coloured glass, let him. Whatever made him feel happier.

If Itachi had to be the villain to protect what was dear to him, he would. As long as the people that were dear to him were safe. Itachi's pride and honour was nothing compared to that. So if he had to play the evil King, be it.

He wished he wasn't the King. He wished he didn't have to be King. He wished that his father, Fugaku, was still King. But Fugaku had turned greedy and selfish, and Itachi had to kill him. Indirectly, of course. He told the enemy kingdom about their whereabouts when they were out of the country, and he would forever regret the fact that his mother was with his father at the time. She didn't deserve to die. She was a lovely woman.

Yes, Itachi's mother, dark haired and ivory skinned. She had warm, inviting eyes, and was always a sanctuary for Itachi and Sasuke. She never judged, and always listened with a warm smile, (just like _her)._

Itachi's father was a different story. Fugaku stood tall and proud, his stern face never wavering. Itachi had never liked him; he always treated Sasuke like dirt. Just because Itachi was slightly more talented. For that, Itachi would never forgive him.

The whole reason that Itachi deemed that Fugaku got too greedy, was because he was planning a fruitless attack on their next door neighbours, a kingdom that was also very strong. If that plan had prevailed, under Fugaku's reign, not only would they have failed, but countless of lives would be lost. That was when Itachi decided that it was time to end Fugaku's reign, once and for all. Sasuke suspected that that was what had happened; but had no idea why. Itachi would not tell him; better for Sasuke to remember his father a hero, and not a villain. Itachi had already taken that role.

Although, in his love life, Itachi was much luckier than Sasuke, that he would admit. After all, _she _was his. And Itachi got the feeling that Sasuke resented him for that, too. It wasn't Sasuke's fault; the Queen reminded everyone of the one before.

And most of all, she understood him, and never questioned him or his decisions. She always believed in him; a feat almost no one did. They always suspected him and his talents, never quite trusting him, only his abilities. Maybe it was because Itachi was a genius that came once every couple of centuries.

He could read by the age of four, and he had already mastered writing by the age of five. His eye technique of the Uchiha was activated at seven, and he had finished schooling by eight. He already could govern better than the king by the age of twelve. And he found out of his father's plan by the age of thirteen. His parents were murdered by the age of fourteen. He got married, (for political reasons, of course, or _mostly_) by the age of nineteen. And he had been peacefully ruling for more than half a decade, at twenty one, now.

He couldn't say he loved his job. He hated the fact that one mistake could cause him to loose hundreds or thousands of his people. It was not easy being a king. He'd love, more than anything, if he could be one of the common folk, living normally.

But he also knew that he couldn't trust anyone, (but maybe Sasuke) with this job. It was harsh, and demanding, and you had to take it seriously. And Itachi could trust himself to do that (he had trust issues, giving to him by his father).

And so, this made Itachi one of the youngest rulers in the name of history. And one of the most successful ones, too. He was bringing the country great wealth. He had already conquered half the land around him; it would only take him a couple of years to conquer the other half. The Kingdom was proud of his King.

The only thing that Itachi was worried about was the heir. Although he already knew that Sasuke was his heir, he also needed to have a child of his own (knowing Sasuke, as he isn't married, and doesn't want to get married) to have the Uchiha dynasty carry on. But having a child was a harsh business, and Itachi had no idea of how to go about it.

Although he should be happy that that was his only problem so far. He was the King, and usually the King always had problems arise, sooner or later. He was very lucky that no rebellion had arose, as it usually did with every king.

But of course it wouldn't. He was Itachi Uchiha, feared across the land. With black hair and onyx black eyes, he intimidated every man that tried to best their way through. His cold and calculating nature, didn't help, either.

After all, it was known all around that Uchiha Itachi had never cried, not even on his parents' funeral. Of course he couldn't, Itachi almost snorted to himself. It would make the Kingdom seem weak, and it would become an instant target. However, Sasuke's accusing eyes would stay with him forever. But what was done was done.

She had often said that he was a gentle man, and not suited for this ruthless position. Itachi begged to differ; he could be very ruthless if he wished. It wasn't his fault that he abhorred violence and murderers. That made people seem more like barbarians rather than humans. And it was certainly unbefitting of royalty. It was a good thing she understood that; Itachi hadn't explained it to anyone else, because he was sure that they wouldn't understand.

It was horrifying how some people acted upon their desires. Greed, jealousy, want, that all came from desire, the desire of material things. Itachi had never seen what was all that special about jewellery or money, or any such other objects. Was it because he already had it all? He often times wondered about those endless questions.

He'd never know. Itachi was King, and the King always came after the People, after all.

**I keep on ending it on After all. Why? Anyway, can you guess who the Queen is? Betcha cant, betcha cant. If you do, I will have you choose the next character you want me to do! Beams! Well, after the Queen, that is. If none of you are able to guess, after the Queen comes her Knight, and after that comes the Guard, and so forth and so forth. Maybe I'll have the Wise Man, and the Chef, as well. We shall see! **

**Review, Review, Review,**

**Sincerely, Aurora-chan!**


	5. The Queen

**Well, this is the fifth chapter! OMFG, I'll be posting this story after the next chapter! :O! So excited. :D :D! Anyway, kudos to all those who guessed who the Queen is! Yes, she is Hinata. I mean, she just _seems _like a Queen. She is the 'nobility'. And Itachi just seems like a king. I didn't do it on purpose, I swear.**

_The Queen_

Around the Kingdom, it was well known that the King's wife was Hinata, the Queen. It was all a political marriage, (at least, Hinata thought so) an agreement between nobility and royalty. Hinata had never wanted to be nobility.

She despised it, actually. The thought that some humans were above others. Weren't they all equal? Weren't they all humans? Well, her father thought not. He thought that since they came from one of the richest and oldest families, that they were automatically above the other human beings.

In fact, Hinata was in love with someone they would have considered to be, 'lower than the low'. She was in love with Naruto, the Jester. Hinata couldn't fathom why, but she knew that she was. She was in love with those bright blue eyes, and the light sunny blonde hair. Naruto always brought smiles and laughter into her otherwise dreary life. Hinata couldn't help the pang of guilt, she felt whenever she thought those thoughts, however. After all, she was a married woman.

She was married to the King. And it wasn't like he was a bad man - far from it. He was a gentle, peaceful man, that didn't actually cheat on her, like she thought that all kings did. And Itachi was far from ugly, as well. He was handsome in his own, mysterious and just out right beautiful way. He had all the characteristics of royalty, of an aristocrat.

And that was just it. Hinata had seen more than enough aristocrats in her short life. She wanted something different, for a change. Something bright and sunny, and made her smile and laugh - she wanted Naruto. But those dreams and fantasies would never come true, because that's all they were - dreams. And fantasies. And anyway, Naruto was in love with the Princess - the one that most men in their Kingdom were in love with. Hinata could see why - she often admired Sakura's unique hair, and flamboyant attitude. It was a breath of fresh air. A far cry from Hinata's meek, shy and gentle one.

As a queen, Hinata did her best to help the people. She had always felt compassion for them all; for those that were less lucky than she was. She always thought that one of them deserved this position more; not someone like her. She had shared those concerns with Itachi, but he had only stared at her in a nonchalant way. Itachi always had had a problem with communicating thoughts and feelings. Not that Hinata could blame him; emotions would only hinder his job as King.

As an Uchiha, she had never quite been able to understand the dynamics of the other Uchihas. What was Sasuke's problem with Itachi? Hinata had often mused upon that, but had never shared her concerns. Sasuke surely had a reason, and honestly, it was none of her business. Queens were meant to stand there, and look pretty, anyway.

Something she failed at, as well. She thought herself very ugly indeed, what with her blank white eyes, and dark indigo hair. Her skin was too pale, giving her a fragile glass look; nothing like Sakura's healthy peach coloured tone. She was so ugly, that whenever she entered a room, everyone stared at her. The women stared and gossiped, and the men always had this nasty strange look in their eyes; often when Itachi was with her, he put his hand protectively on her waist (possessively) trying to ward away all their incessant staring.

Itachi was often stared at, as well; it was because he was so beautiful, Hinata guessed. Sasuke, too. Sasuke actually got chased; Hinata was sure that Itachi would've gotten chased as well, had he not been married (to her), and had he not been so intimidating. Hinata didn't think that the fan girls could have gotten the nerve to chase him.

When they first married, Hinata had been intimidated herself. She had done her best not to anger him; but in time, she had learned what a nice and gentle person he actually was. Except that he wasn't allowed to show it; not with a job like that. Really, Hinata was very lucky that she was married to him.

Too bad that she didn't think herself lucky.

She liked Itachi, she really did - as a friend and brother. Her heart belonged to Naruto, the bright, sunny ball of confidence. But that was a love that wasn't meant to be. Like always, whenever she loved someone, it wasn't meant to be. She loved her mother; she had died. She had loved her sister; her sister had hated her. And once upon a time, she had loved a boy - a boy she had loved, when she was younger, barely seven years old - a boy she could not remember. And she could not remember, since he had left, as well. It seemed that everyone she loved left. Somehow. Be it emotionally, or physically, they always seem to leave her alone.

It was only a matter of time before Naruto leaves her, as well. Only a matter of time before he marries, only a matter of time before he has children, only a matter of time before he forgets her. But it was better not to think about this - it depressed her. It sometimes even made her cry.

When she cries, her eyes turn a sparkling white, like freshly layered snow. That was the only time that she liked her blank, glassy eyes. It was too ironic, because she hated crying, yet it made her seem decent looking, even pretty.

Not as pretty as Sakura, or Ino. Ino was her best friend, a diamond in the rough. Originally, her best friend was Sakura, but then Sakura harshly ended their friendship, something that Hinata spent many a night consoling Ino over. Hinata could feel it though; Ino often felt uncomfortable with being her best friend. Who would want to be best friends with the Queen, when it was such a high and daunting position? One wrong word, and Hinata could have Ino to chop off her head. It was sad that Ino didn't completely trust her yet. Of course, Hinata would never ever _ever _do such a thing! She found things like that very, very wrong indeed.

Not that Neji would understand. Neji was her cousin, and was of noble blood, like her, and thought himself to be on top of the world. There was a time where he actually abhorred her (probably because she was of a higher standing than him), and at the time, she was unbelievably miserable. Afterwards, however, when Naruto (oh, Naruto-kun!) managed to get Neji out of his I-hate-everything phase, he didn't mind her quite so much. Now their relationship was even better; they spent time together! Usually with Neji training her self-defence, but that was beside the point.

Itachi didn't like her spending time with Neji for reasons unknown. He never said anything, but Hinata could sense it; the way he looked miffed every time she said that she was going to be with Neji. He could never do anything about it, however, since he was always so busy. Usually with meetings, and important politics that Hinata did her best to stay away from.

But, one thing that _did _concern her, was the latest meeting. The elders want an heir. A child. Her child with Itachi. The problem was - they didn't have one. They haven't even consummated on their marriage, for goodness sakes'! Itachi had never pressured her for such things. He had always respected her and her decisions and feelings, and was always nice to her, and...

She wanted her first time to be with Naruto. But sadly, that was a dream. Even if her first time _did _manage to get to be with Naruto... that would put Naruto in great peril.

That was when she decided. She was going to have an heir. For her sake, for Itachi's sake, for the elders' sake, for the Kingdom sake – she would do it for them.

She was the Queen... and dreams were best to stay dreams.

**It took me forever to finish this. But it is a good thing that I finished it. Darth-Taisha, many thanks to you, and good luck filtering and adding onto it! Anyway, Thank you to all those who read it, and I beg you to review!**

**Review, Review, Review **

**Aurora-chan!**


	6. The Knight

**Well, I actually posted this story earlier than expected. But no one reads it anyways, so who cares? I want to finish it, though, and since it doesn't take as long, and is much more organized than my other stories, I might as well finish it. Thank you Darth Taisha, and off I go!**

_The Knight_

Neji was of noble blood. He wasn't in the direct line, no; he was the cousin of the Queen, and that's still quite the high standing. His talent mostly made up for his fate, though. He was one of the best swordsmen in the world; certainly one of the best of his kingdom. Even the fearless King and Prince respected him. And so did the women.

Although his fan club wasn't as crazy as some of the others', it was still there, and it was still annoying. Neji just wasn't interested. They were after him for his high standing and his looks.

Neji had long, pin straight, dark chocolate hair, that he usually spent a long time brushing. Hinata-sama had complemented it... he couldn't just leave it alone! He had the porcelain skin of the Hyuuga family, white and flawless, as well as their eyes; the mirrored eyes that managed to stare through your soul. What annoyed him, though, that his looks had a feminine charm, as noble as they were. Sometimes, men thought him a woman... and those times irritated him. It was a good thing that a woman hadn't mistaken him as his own, though... then, even the hair that Hinata-sama loved so would have to go. Pride was important.

Not as important as Hinata, though. She was his lady, and she was the most important person in his life. She was a kind and gentle woman, innocent, with the biggest light lavender eyes you would ever see. She also inherited the Hyuuga eyes, but hers were unique- a lavender colour. She also had the pale porcelain skin of the Hyuuga, but her dark indigo hair was all hers. All of the other Hyuuga had dark brown hair, very similar to his.

Hinata was a beauty known throughout the kingdom. She turned heads, and attractive the lustful stares of all men. Unlike Sakura, who was pretty, Hinata-sama, was, in a word, beautiful. Like a painting. Even Neji, who thought such things useless, stopped to admire her often.

He couldn't believe there was a time when he despised her. It wasn't her fault, not really - but his father had just died, and he was an angry child. When someone had tried kidnapping her they died, but since they were an important person, they wanted payback. To evade a war, the Hyuuga agreed; but they had wanted the dead body of the Hyuuga clan leader, which was unfathomable. Luckily, there was his father, who was the identical twin of the Hyuuga leader, who could pose as him. His father was killed in her father's place, stopping the war.

Neji was angry. Maybe if Hinata had not let herself be kidnapped in the first place, this wouldn't have happened... his father would have lived. And not only that, but she was the daughter of the man that was _supposed _to die, but didn't, having his father die in his place. No, that didn't help at all. So, Neji grew to hate her, and all that she stood for. The reminder that his father died, that only the first born got all the luck, how it was their fate to live, while it was the fate of the others to die in their stead.

It was hard to hate her. Really, very hard. As a child, much like now, Neji had adored her. She was his first childish crush, and she always managed to evoke the protective feelings in Neji. She was just so helpless... and cute. It was unfair, and it only made Neji's effort to hate her, (because he couldn't. Not really) grow. It was, really very hard to hate a gentle creature like Hinata-sama.

But he managed, somehow. By never looking her in the eye, he managed just fine. But when bandits came and he almost killed her, let her die, he was in shock. Without Hinata-sama... there was no point in living. It was his destiny to protect her. his duty. Although it wasn't his duty to love her... he did anyway.

It was a good thing Naruto brought him out of his hate filled trance. It was laughable, really; of all the people to make him see sense, it had to be the Jester, the one who was supposed to have the least sense. But right before the bandits had jumped in to kill her; Naruto had arrived, protecting Hinata in the process. He made Neji see sense. Unbelievable, really.

It was then that Neji had learnt that Naruto was the wisest of them all. He had seen when he let down his guard momentarily, he had seen the wise, haunted old blue eyes, their shine dulled by years of solitude. He was never able to gaze at Naruto the same way, again. Nope. He had Naruto to thank for many things.

Yet, he couldn't stop being jealous of Naruto. He saw the way that Hinata's eyes lit with warmth and admiration when she gazed at him, the way she never gazed at Neji. That moment, when the bandits arrived, he knew that he had lost Hinata forever to Naruto; she had fallen deep in love with him. It was a sick relief that they could never be together; it was a sick relief, his very twisted joy, that Naruto had never viewed Hinata like that, but as merely a friend. It was a sick, guilt ridden joy that Naruto was in love with the Princess, Sakura, to ever see Hinata.

It was not only Naruto that Neji was inwardly jealous of. His next target was Itachi; Hinata's husband, the King. He was a lucky man; very lucky indeed. Because, she was, in reality, his. Not in heart, but in mind and body, you could say. She would never cheat on Itachi, because the guilt would be unbearable for her. Not like Itachi would cheat on her, though. Neji had seen the slightly obsessive love in Itachi's eyes; he who almost never loved anything. The only other person that Itachi truly loved was Sasuke, and you couldn't really say that that love wasn't slightly obsessive, either. Maybe it was because of the fact that Itachi never really _felt, _or had any particular emotions towards anything. He only had a conscience, and a hatred to anything that wasn't justified.

His jealousy ranged to Sasuke, even, who got to spend so much time with Hinata-sama. Although it wasn't as major there... since Sasuke hadn't even realized the extent of his feelings, yet.

When they say that the Hyuuga eyes see everything, they are right. His eyes really _could _see everything, much to his horror. There were some things that were so awful, that they shouldn't exist... and he had the pleasure of seeing them all. The greed, the anger, the hatred; he could see all. People were all very easy to read, really.

Maybe that was why Lee was his best friend; an idiot, he was, but at least he was an honest idiot, true to his emotions. Neji had never seen any impure emotions cross his eyes, not even once; naivety at its finest. Neji wished that he wasn't as jaded as Lee was, and as unbelievable as this may seem, he wished he could be more like Lee.

But that was a secret that would travel with him to the grave. Just like his forbidden feelings towards Hinata-sama. It was forbidden on so many levels; from the fact that she was superior, to the fact that she was his cousin, to the fact that he was her protector, supposed to protect her.

Yes, he was never the King's. He belonged to the Queen, it was signed, with his name and hers as the signatures. Whenever he went to war, it was always her name on his lips, and his heart, and his mind. Neji might be a jealous being, but he was loyal and honourable to the core. Knights were like that.

And he was a knight. Her Knight.

**Today I'm ill, so I'm at home. :(. But it was fun writing this. :D now I have to focus on The Hyuuga Massacre, actually. At least people read that :(.**

**Review, Review, Please Review, Please Please Please Please, I'll love you forever if you do,**

**Aurora-chan!**


	7. The Blacksmith

**going to do TenTen now. I was wondering whether to do TenTen or Lee, but now I know exactly what sequence I can do things. :D :D so. Thank you Darth-Taish, and there was an awesome guest reviewer that motivated me. Review, people, review!**

_The Blacksmith_

Tenten knew that the job she did wasn't for women. It was preposterous. Whoever heard of a woman making weaponry? Whoever heard of a woman knowing more about swords than a man? Scratch that, whoever heard of a woman _owning _a sword? No one, that's who.

She was a blacksmith. Yes, the ones that made weapons; swords, knives, daggers, clubs, axes, hammers, spears, she made them all. Using them wasn't an issue, either; she could beat most knights (but she could never beat the Prince or the King) any day. All knights but Neji.

Ah, Neji. He was her first love. She had loved him the moment she saw him moving with his sword, with grace and fluidity that made his movements seem like art. That was what he made fighting: art. The precise way he threw his knives, how he only had to lightly tap at his opponents for them to drop dead, how he commanded those around him.

It didn't help that he was so handsome, as if taken straight from a beautiful oil painting. He had long, creamy dark brown hair, with icy white pupil-less eyes, and porcelain skin and a slim body, with well sculpted and strong muscles from all of the training he did.

He was more beautiful than Tenten, herself. She only had brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin, looking as common as it could be. It really was unfair. She even had her hair tied up, most of the time, because it couldn't get in the way while making weapons, making her look even more common. See, most of the ladies with status, in the kingdom, had their hair down. The only extra-ordinary thing about her was her job (meant for men), which was the way she met Neji.

Neji came here regularly for weapons, along with Lee. The two of them formed some kind of friendship with her, which steadily grew over the years. But as Tenten's friendship with Neji grew, so did her knowledge of him. She began to understand his cold mannerisms, his thoughts, his feelings. And once they got very close, Neji took Lee and herself to the castle, where he lived.

For Tenten, it started off being a magical experience. Everything was beautifully crafted, and Neji even took them to the weapon's room. It was all magnificent. Then Neji started acting a little bit strange, as if nervous, and he told them that he was going to take them to the gardens. And that was when they met her.

The Queen. Hinata. Neji's cousin. She was perfect, with lovely porcelain skin (much like Neji's), with lavender hues eyes in her creamy white eyes, and dark, indigo coloured hair. She also had a curvy hourglass figure, one that Tenten could never hope to achieve, herself. She greeted them, and there was nothing wrong with her personality; she was the sweetest thing, with the best of manners. A true lady.

But it wasn't that that put Tenten into a fit of despair and jealousy. Oh, no, no, no. it was Neji's reaction.

His usually cold eyes turned into putty in front of her eyes, a warm smile forming on his face. He dropped to his knees, and Tenten bore witness to how lovingly he kissed her hand. He did it a second longer than what was needed, but no one noticed but Tenten. And then he stood back up, and engaged the Queen in a conversation, actually attempting to humour her. It was then that Tenten realized why she had never seen Neji be with anyone, or mention anyone. It was because he was in love with the woman in front of her, the pretty Queen, Hinata. Who was already married, but everyone knew that royals often cheated on their other half.

Tenten knew jealousy. Not very much, but she had experienced it; jealousy for whoever was close to Neji, usually. But she had never known envy. Not such intense, blinding envy. And it only grew as Tenten searched, but couldn't find _one _horrible thing about her. _Everything about her was perfect. _And so, the envy grew and grew, until Tenten couldn't take it any longer, and stormed out. It only made her angrier that Neji didn't even seem to notice, or care.

Over the next few weeks, the jealousy in her stomach only seemed to grow. It mixed with guilt, for feeling such things for a kind and mannered woman, but she couldn't help it. And, one day, when Neji had come to visit, she had snapped, and insulted the Queen, in front of him. Neji's face had instantly hardened, and he had retaliated. Their close friendship, built over the years, was ruined. All because of a couple of words. Probably, Neji couldn't even be bothered to remember her...

But Lee didn't abandon her. No; he comforted her, throughout the whole ordeal. He had stayed by her side, doing his best to cheer her up, even though he didn't know what this breech was even about. He didn't care what Neji thought of her, even though Neji was his best friend. And so, Tenten began to forget all about Neji, his long silky hair, and his fluid movements. Those images were replaced with images of Lee's grinning face.

Lee wasn't handsome. He was incredibly tacky, with his green uniform, overly large eyebrows, and black shiny bob cut hair. But that made him so much more real than Neji's dreamy image. His strong, muscular arms comforted her when she needed comfort; something that Neji would have never done. He always smiled, and brightened up the atmosphere, even though he was much too eccentric, and after a while, started dimming it down. And, he too, was a fighter, his movements crisp and sharp, like newly cut grass.

When Tenten started gazing at him, as much as she could, she knew she was in love. A love much stronger than the love she had felt towards Neji, since there was an emotional connection between them too. But she knew it was never to be; Lee was much too in love with the Princess.

He repeated it all the time, actually. Sakura, with her exotic pink hair and crystalline green eyes had captivated him the first time he saw her, or so he said. And while Tenten was jealous, she was also quite bitter. Because the cycle would happen all over again, and if she opened her big mouth, Lee would abandon her, too. And this time, the heartbreak might even kill her.

Maybe this was what she got; for being a woman in a man's position. Men thought her as one of their own, forgetting, that she too, was a girl. Forgot that she too could fall in love with them, despite her job, despite her tomboyish appearance. Lee and Neji had never seen her as a woman; but a man, just like them.

But still, she couldn't give this job up. This was her passion, and without it, she would surely die. Love came and went, but passion stayed. This job was passed on throughout the generations in her family, from man to man. It was only her luck that she ended up being the only child in the family, her father leaving it up to her to carry their legacy.

And even if she loved Lee forever, at least she would have her passion to keep her going, even if he ended up being married with kids. Tenten learned from her mistakes; and if there was one thing she knew, is to never repeat what happened, ever again.

Still, Lee wouldn't discard her, not like Neji. Lee would probably scold her, and then tell her that everything would be alright. No, he would not be like Neji. But still, Tenten was scared, and weary. You could never know; especially since she hadn't seen him and Sakura together. Would he love her as much as Neji loved Hinata? Or more? Tenten was scared of finding out.

She wished he saw her as a woman. Not a man, not a friend, not a blacksmith, but a woman. But that would never be, because this was her curse for disobeying the laws of nature, that a woman wasn't supposed to work a man's job. Not in this world.

******Ok. slightly shorter than the last one, but good enough. I hurried up, because pretty soon, Darth-Taisha will be unavailable T_T. But anyway, I hoped you liked it, and the next chapter will be Lee. His point of view, or his drabble thingiemabob. After that, Gaara, then Kankuro, then Temari, then Shikamaru, then Choji, then Ino, and so on...**

**Review, Review, Review,**

**Aurora-chan!**


	8. The Guard

**Ok. change of plans. Grins. I know what I'm actually going to do now! Well, I might do Lee, then Gai, then Kakashi, then Kurenai, then Asuma, then Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, Temari, Kankuro, Gaara, something, then something. Anyway, I better get to work! Thanks forever, Darth-Taisha!**

_The Guard_

In an obnoxious green jump suit, Lee was a guard. And not just any guard, Lee was the Head Guard for her majesty, Princess Sakura, herself.

Yes. Lee was in a high position, a very high position that any man would want. Because, he often got to see Princess Sakura! Oh, Sakura. She was like the incarnation of youth itself, with her youthful, sparkling green eyes, and soft pink hair like the petals of a lotus blossom. And, long story short, she was the love of Lee's life! It was love at first sight for him; the day he had first seen her, was a day that he celebrated each year.

Lee knew that it was never meant to be, however. He was just a guard, and she was a princess. He was content enough with loving her, though - he had never expected more. There was no point in expecting, that was something that he had learned over the years. The best thing that he could do was try to be happy. That way, he might even forget all of his many sorrows.

Lee was an orphan. What made it even worse, was that he remembered his parents. They had abandoned him, just as he had entered his school years; they weren't the best of people. They often insulted him, for his demeaning looks, and for his lack of talent. He was a disappointment to them; no matter how hard he tried. He was never good enough.

School, the Academy, wasn't much better. Even there, he was ridiculed by the students; bullied, insulted because of his hard time studying. That was one of the times that he was unable to smile through it all; no, he remembered his fits of hysterical sobbing, even now. It was then an angel came into his life. He wasn't exactly an angel - not at all - but for Lee, he was close.

Maito Gai. He adopted Lee, making him have parents, once again. It was one of the happiest memories in Lee's life. Gai-sensei told him to bear with it, and encouraged him, making him one of the most powerful students, after Neji (the royals didn't go to school). After that, Gai became his idol, one of the most important people in Lee's life. As a substitute parent, Lee adored him, and made sure to be like him, as much as he could.

That's where the 'youthful' came from. It was Gai's favourite word, so it automatically became Lee's favourite word, too. Now, it was just a habit to say it in almost every sentence. But a good habit, nonetheless, since it wasn't harmful to anyone.

Neji was Lee's best friend, and rival. But even Neji didn't know all that Lee had went through, or his dark side. But Neji was always there, and even Lee sometimes worried for him. It was because Lee had noticed that Neji was in love, and with Hinata, as well.

Lee had met Hinata on numerous occasions. She was a beautifully kind woman, and noble, too. She reminded Lee of Neji, except a girl version, but also, she was much more youthful then Neji. Lee understood exactly why she had captured Neji the way she had.

Neji, he had a hard time trusting. Lee wasn't sure why, but he did. Hinata had been there since his childhood, and had never hurt him, which meant that Neji trusted her. Since she was the only woman that he's probably ever trusted, that trust quickly evolved to love. It didn't help that Hinata was so youthfully pretty, too. Lee personally preferred Sakura, but that was a different matter.

Neji was also an incredibly loyal individual. That was why when Tenten, his other best friend, lashed out at Hinata (who was like a part of Neji, himself) he defended her, and his slowly growing trust in Tenten crumbled, at that exact moment. Tenten had confessed to Lee before, that she was in love with Neji, so Lee understood why she did that. It was because she was jealous of Hinata.

Lee knew jealousy. Not very much, but he did. He had always been slightly jealous of Neji, because of his power. But that jealousy usually caused him to work harder, not to lash out. That was where he and Tenten were different.

His jealousy towards Sasuke had also caused him to try and work harder. But then, he would remember himself, who he was, and remember that he couldn't possibly deserve a beautiful blossom such as Sakura. Still, that didn't stop him from being jealous. No, not at all; people in love are always jealous at some point, though, right?

Sasuke. The prince. Supposedly, the princess's other half, a dark and brooding young man, with pale skin, and a stoic personality. Sometimes, Lee was reminded of Neji, except even Neji had _some _youth going for him, while Sasuke had none. Still, he could see why Sakura loved him; Sasuke was a thousand times handsomer than Lee was. And because of Lee's thick eyebrows and tacky hair, he would never win the love of Sakura. But, smile, he was never expecting to win her love in the first place, right?

He really should stop thinking about this, and think of happier things. Like his job as a guard. It was very hard to reach this position - what, with his bushy eyebrows and all - but it was worth it. Lee was not a fan of violence; but he loved the way his body moved when there was a fight. It was like a dance; only the ruffians fought without grace.

Tenten understood, just like how Lee understood her love of weapons. Now that Neji was gone, Lee spent many an hour with Tenten, consoling her, and comforting her. At the beginning, Tenten was absolutely miserable. But, in a few months' time, she had gotten better, and had slowly forgotten about Neji, which was good. He really didn't like seeing Tenten, one of his best friends, miserable.

Neji was much better off. It didn't bother him, at all. He was only angry whenever he saw Tenten, but it seemed like that fragile friendship meant nothing to him; not when Hinata was brought into the picture. Neji was _too _loyal. That was his flaw. Lee could not understand how Neji could abandon friendship, just like that, over words, as well.

Even Lee was better. Sure, he'd probably get infinitely angry with Tenten, and ignore her for a while, but then after he made her apologize, it would blow over. But, then again, he didn't know Sakura the way Neji knew Hinata; and he'd probably never get the chance to, either. Sakura, it always came back to Sakura.

She probably didn't even know who he was. Maybe she did; the freaky green suited guy with the strange round eyes, and the horrible bushy eyebrows. She would know him by name. But would she remember him by anything else? No, probably not. And, even though Lee had confessed myriads of times, she wouldn't remember those confessions, either.

Lee was just a guard, right? He wasn't important enough to remember. And, after all, he wasn't expecting anything, either. How could he? It was only Gai, Neji, and Tenten that he could ever expect anything from. But he didn't. His parents, his school friends, now his love... so, maybe if he straightened up and smiled, maybe, just maybe, those many sorrows could stay forgotten.

**This one's shorter, because Lee is infinitely hard to write. I tried to bring out the darkness in his light character. Hope that I succeeded?**

**Review, Review, Review,**

**Aurora-chan!**


	9. The Captain

**After Lee, peoples, comes Gai. He is a very hard character to write. I hope I captured him well.**

_The Captain_

Green. When someone thinks of Gai, they think of green. They think of a large, insufferable green jump suit, a black bob, and a shiny white smile. They think of the spirit of 'youth' and everything that connects around that spirit. And, ultimately, they think of Lee.

_Ah, Lee_, Gai thought of the young man as his son; the resemblance was very remarkable, one had to say. Especially for two people that were in no way related. Well, maybe they were, but it was unknown how _exactly _they were related.

Lee really was Gai's pride - a captain's pride. Gai was a captain, and was in charge of the security around the castle. It was a very important job, and Gai was very much looked up to, even if he didn't look it. No; to the outside world, he was just a wannabe jester, trying to copy Naruto's tricks. Not that public opinion mattered…much.

The problem was, that it did matter. It had always mattered. Gai was from a well-bred family, so public opinion was more important than his own. He supposed that he made a statement when he refused to be like his family. That was what, in the end, led his family to disowning him. It had been a large blow to his psyche. Luckily, that was when Kakashi found him.

Kakashi was random bloke he met, at a random event. Gai was immediately attached to him, challenging him to different events, establishing them as rivals. That rivalry eventually led to a very fulfilling friendship, one unlike any that he had ever had before. Since he was from a well-bred, snobby, family, there never had been as close a bond as the one between him and Kakashi.

Gai had never been interested in women. They had never appealed to him in the slightest; although he didn't really mind them. That struck most people as odd. He was, a healthy man of age, after all. Why wouldn't he want a female partner? However, Gai had never dwelt on those meaningless questions. Instead, he had focused on the more essential aspects of his life: his job, as a captain. His best friend, Kakashi, and his adopted son, Lee, were also part of that category.

While he didn't realize that his aversion towards women was strange, he did notice that he thought about Kakashi a bit too much, more than he was supposed to. He also began to feel new things around Kakashi; things that he hid, and tried to avoid, in response. He started to actually listen when people talked about love, and came to a startling, and slightly disturbing, realization: he had feelings towards Kakashi, romantic ones. While he tried to act normal, it was fairly obvious that there was something wrong.

He had never thought that this would end this way. He thought all those tall tales about men falling in love with other men to be just that - tall tales. It ended up being that those tales were disturbingly true, with Gai falling to be the first victim.

Oh! If his family saw him now. Not only would he be disowned, but they would deny any possible link with him (his mother especially). Like always, he would end up being the largest embarrassment to have ever lived. Not only to his family, not only to Kakashi (who would probably renounce all of the claims of them being best friends) but to himself.

Kakashi would never love him back. He was straight: straight as can be, straight as Gai wanted to be. Straight enough to giggle when reading one of his ever-present orange books. The one time that Gai had managed to see what one of them was all about, he had wanted to gag in disgust. How could grown men find that enjoyable? It would forever remain a mystery to him.

Not only would Kakashi never love him back, but he also loved someone else. Gai didn't know exactly when Kakashi had fallen in love; but he had. It showed in the way that his eyes sparkled, the way he seemed to have much more vigor than usual. In the way that his movements seemed rejuvenated, in every way.

Usually, Gai wasn't observant enough to notice such things. With the exception of Kakashi and Lee, he _didn't _notice these things; he didn't know the people well enough.

At least he knew who Lee loved. He was in love with the Princess, Sakura. As if it wasn't obvious enough: he announced his love to anyone who listened. Nevertheless, Gai was happy that Lee could share something like that with him. Lee had told him that it was hard for him to trust.

That was understandable. Gai himself witnessed Lee's mistreatment. Lee's parents were good friends with his own family, so he had seen many a time were they yelled at Lee for being the way he was. It was like reliving his life all over again. When Gai had taken Lee for his own, he had also learned of Lee's abuse at school.

Gai may have not had the easiest of lives; not with his parents, and whatnot, but he had never been touched at school. The children were too afraid of his family and their prestige to really lay a hand on him; still, that did not stop the nasty comments behind his back. As well as those, he had been isolated because of his looks. Nevertheless, he had excelled enough to be at the position he was now, and that was more than enough for him.

When he had first taken Lee in, he himself had observed the damage the world had dealt Lee. But over time he had managed to bring back the vibrant smile on Lee's face, and a semblance of happiness upon him. Parenting, had been told, was not easy - Gai had to disagree. With a child like Lee, parenting was a breath of fresh air, and it was not difficult, not at all. It only grew slightly difficult when one mourned along with the child, their hopes, fears and dreams. But even then, it was enjoyable. You had someone you could share your mind with, to trust. Gai had never managed to trust his own family.

Lee would be his first and last child. If his unrequited love stayed true to Kakashi (like he knew it would) he would be unable to have any other relationships, and a child would be impossible. It took a man and a woman to make a child, and in Gai's life, he doubted that there would ever be a woman.

Maybe his aversion to woman was because of his own mother, who had been the root of his fear during his childhood. He remembered being locked up in the darkness of the cellar multiple times: the cellar that was cramped, and where the rats nibbled at his feet. He had always been scared of rats.

His mother was a beautiful woman with long, flowing, black hair, and large, innocent black eyes. She was beautiful even with a cold sneer on her face, and she was the one who taught him that if someone or something was beautiful, they were not necessarily good or kind. So, Gai had strived to be good and kind, even with his horrible looks.

Yes, he knew that he was ugly: with bobbed black hair, and thick black eyebrows, who wouldn't be? At least he was youthful, and that was more than he could ask for. Gai had adopted the word 'youthful', as a way to annoy Kakashi (before he had fallen in love with him), as it was his least favourite word.

Kakashi. Everything managed to circulate, in one big circle, back to him. Just like Lee (with Sakura). But it was true; he wouldn't even have adopted Lee if Kakashi hadn't prompted him to. Kakashi, the victim of his everlasting, 'youthful' look. It didn't matter, he was just a Captain, anyway, and this was only a Captain's torment.

**There. Gai was especially hard to write, but I hope I did ok. Thanks, Darth-Taisha, and sorry for the long wait! It was hard to bring out the dark side of a usually sunny Gai... shrugs**

**Review, Review, Review,**

**Aurora-chan!**


	10. The King's Advisor

**I actually had a new reviewer last chapter! I was so happy that I decided to get a move on with this story earlier. Thank you, as always, Darth-Taisha for Betaing/Collaborating, whatever. Kakashi is here!**

_The King's Advisor_

The rain pelted down the ground soaking Kakashi's spiky grey hair, and not sparing the monument in front of him. Even today, the place was still a testament to his old friend's heroism from so many years ago.

Obito Uchiha would be remembered. He was a distant relative to the Uchiha; the fifth in line, before he died, that is. A bubbly, bright man, who died protecting him (Kakashi), and the woman he loved (his best friend, Rin). Not a day would go by without Kakashi remembering, and honouring his sacrifice.

It really wasn't fair. It was always the best that died: Obito, his father, the late Queen. And it was always the hopeless, and the depressed that lived. Him, Prince Sasuke, King Itachi. Regardless of that, he was happy that he was alive. Being alive, he could witness so many more things that he couldn't have otherwise. And he could help the people he loved.

There weren't many. His father had committed suicide when Kakashi was a small child, and he never did find out what happened to his mother (she died when he was too young to remember her). With no relatives to look after him, Kakashi had grown up in isolation and solitude. Never to fit in with others, always alone.

Being alone, he had a lot of free time. Enough free time, that he was able to study, and be the good kid that his late parents' would have been proud of. A genius by the standards of most of the society. He rose up the ranks, and managed to get to the post he was at today, the King's advisor.

Not that King Itachi really needed any advising. His genius surpassed Kakashi's; it was a genius that only came once a century. So Kakashi's job mostly consisted of filling out all the less important paperwork that Itachi didn't get around to. He also always stopped rebellions (of jealous noblemen, usually) before they started. However, rebellions were much rarer in Itachi's rule than they were in Fukagu's rule.

Understandably Kakashi would never want to cross Itachi; the man was not a pleasant enemy. He might not be big and buff, like his friend Gai, but he was agile, and his hits commanded power. Not only that, it was as if his eyes could hypnotize the enemy – a damn scary technique.

A few years back, Kakashi had taken on apprentices to teach them self-defense, as a new project. Itachi himself had decided for his brother to be taught, as he was bound to be a target; Princess Sakura, who had been targeted beforehand, and the Jester, Naruto, because Itachi wanted to 'try new things.'

The only one who really accepted his teachings had been Sasuke. The others had given up halfway into his tutelage. But still, he could never forget his female apprentice, the beautiful Haruno Sakura.

Kakashi knew it was wrong. On many different levels: he had been her teacher, and he was a good ten years older than her. That did not stop the forbidden feelings creeping into his heart. There was no denying it; he had been in love with Haruno Sakura for a long, long time.

Kakashi had kept himself away from people. While he enjoyed reading about the wishy-washy relationships between different characters, he, himself, had never tried getting involved. It might hinder his job, and his sight. So, that was why Sakura had been his first, unattached, female relationship.

There was always Rin. She had been a mutual friend along with Obito. But with Rin, he could never quite imagine her as his, because he always imagined Obito alongside her. She was Obito's one and only love; there was no way he could forsake that. There was no way he could form an attachment to her beyond friendship.

With Sakura, there was no such barrier. Sure, she might be in love with Sasuke, but that didn't quite register in Kakashi's subconsciousness. It helped that Sasuke didn't love her back, and was obsessed with himself (actually, he had noticed that Sasuke's eyes always wandered to the Queen, but he hoped it was a phase, lest it completely destroy their family relations).

Kakashi was resigned that his would be a quiet and unnoticeable love. He would not show it off to Sakura, as it might get to her head. Besides, it was obvious that she didn't love him back, so he wouldn't pursue her until her Sasuke phase ended. If it ever ended, that is.

Sakura fancied herself 'in love' with Sasuke. Sakura was a very smart woman - Kakashi had to grudgingly give her that (he did not fall in love with a moron) when she wanted to be. But when it came to matters about Sasuke, she seemed to lose her head. Kakashi wistfully wished that that would be the case for him (for her to love him) but it was probably impossible - for she didn't even know what he looked like.

Because of his job, it was needed for him to be masked. That way, he could go undercover using his face, and no one would know who he was. He uncovered his right eye, so he could see, but other than that, the rest of his face was a mystery to all but Itachi. By using this trick, he had uncovered many people.

Many of his friends have tried to uncover his face, but all have failed. The mask used to be just or work, but now it wasn't just that - it was a comfort. To know that if anyone fell in love with him (Rin) in would not be because of his face. That was the case with Sasuke, Itachi, and many other good looking men that attracted women. He pitied those men.

Well, not Itachi. He always managed to find ways to ward away his 'fan club'. A feat to be admired (those woman were vultures.) Kakashi was slightly resentful that Sasuke had yet to manage to do that. Maybe if he did, Sakura would stop chasing him. Again, wishful thinking.

No one knew about his love for the Princess. He meant to keep it that way, even though it was quite a burden in some aspects.

It could be worse, he often reassured himself. He could be in love with Sakura, and be Naruto, the Jester, who had no chance of her ever returning his love. And even if she did, such a love was an impossible one, with all the barriers and obstacles that would come their way. Or he could be in love with the Queen (like many were) Hinata, and that would truly be a lost cause.

He admired Itachi, he really did. But while Itachi saw a lot of things, he chose to be blind, or to ignore some aspects, for example, the Queen's obvious love for Naruto, the Jester. Although... Kakashi highly doubted that she would ever cheat on Itachi. Hinata was too loyal to ever commit adultery. And, Naruto was too in love with Sakura, as mentioned above.

Kakashi saw many things that most people chose to be blind to. Maybe he wasn't as all-seeing as Neji, the Knight, but he still managed to catch a lot of things, especially the emotions of others. That was what made him such a good advisor.

An advisor really wasn't as glamorous as people made it out to be. It was a life in the shadows. A life of catching treachery and fulfilling documents, a life where one can't show one's face. But Kakashi could suppose that it suited him. He'd never really wanted to show his face, anyway.

But it really was time to go back. His clothes were already soaked, and his book was getting wet. He said his salutations, and turned to leave. His muddy footprints created a trail on the ground. It was time to go back to being what he was: A King's Advisor.

**That was a slightly different style from everything else. But I liked it. :D. Yeah, Kakashi's in love with Sakura! :D! Who's in love with Sasuke, who's in love with Hinata, who's in love with Naruto, who's in love with Sakura! And it's a big love square...**

**Review, Review, Review.**

**Aurora-chan!**


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